Tiny turtle brings Airtran flight back to gate..

So which is it? Did the Gate Agent throw it away or did the family dispose of it? I do agree that the family should have not allowed this to happen... assuming they knew.
 
subpilot said:
So which is it? Did the Gate Agent throw it away or did the family dispose of it? I do agree that the family should have not allowed this to happen... assuming they knew.
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Sounds like the family disposed of it per the gate agent's orders. How, what, or when isn't the issue. For me it's just the fact that somebody is cold-hearted enough to suggest throwing a 10? 12? year old girls live baby turtle in the trash....yes it's a stupid turtle, but it's still enough of an animal for me to care about, AND it's a little girl's PET!

Why is it so hard for peple to just take a step back and think logically before doing things?





(This is all assuming what we heard or know of the incident is the truth)
 
I heard that AirTran management ordered it thrown in the trash......straight from the top. And the MEC leadership concurred.

;)
 
Do you know how dangerous turtles CAN be?!

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ATL has to have some of the worst customer service agents anywhere, regardless of the airline they work for. I've had bad experiences as a non rev and full fare pax on three different airlines out of there.

The last was as a non rev on Southern Jets. I saw my place on the list and then saw I had gotten a middle seat, oh well thems the breaks. However, I then noticed as all the non revs behind me started getting windows and aisles with a wink and a nod from the agent. So I very politely asked her if I waited upstairs for a bit if maybe a window or aisle would open up. She then proceeded to give me the "you should be grateful that I even gave you a seat" rant. I told her that I was just asking and I had noticed folks behind me on the list were getting them and maybe there was one more. She kept having a small power trip so I informed her that employees from HER airline travel on MY airline as well and when I run across one, I'm sure to try to help them out since we are all airline folks and should take care of our own. She calmed down to her credit and gave me an aisle seat, and actually it was an entire empty row as the flight was not very full. I just couldn't understand the attitude when asked a polite question about trying to wait and see if a more comfortable seat opened up. I didn't even mention the folks behind me until she got an attitude.

I just don't get it, is something in the water over there in ATL?

Glad the turtle is ok!
 
I carried back a toad from Texas when I was about 10. The Southwest FA gave me a small box to replace the cup I had it in.

MQAAord said:
I understand the reasons for the policy, reptiles do sometimes carry bacteria which can make people sick. I can understand the airlines not wanting people bringing turtles onboard.
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EVERYTHING carries bacteria. Its more likely that your keyboard is more dangerous than just about any turtle a kid is carrying as a pet. Everytime you eat pork or chicken, clean a litter box or take a shower in a hotel you risk samonella. All you have to do is not put your turtle in your mouth and wash your hands. I'm a member of the local Turtle and Tortoise society, have taken turtles/torts to schools, reptile shows and even had a "petting oasis". Of the hundreds of people Ive seen handle them, never heard once of anyone getting sick.
 
Ahh yes, the AtlantaTude.

You know, Nicolaus Copernicus has it very wrong. The center of the universe is any airline's front line airport worker in Atlanta.

There are certainly good gate agents, but when they're rotten, they're rotten to the bone.
 
vikingair said:
EVERYTHING carries bacteria. Its more likely that your keyboard is more dangerous than just about any turtle a kid is carrying as a pet. Everytime you eat pork or chicken, clean a litter box or take a shower in a hotel you risk samonella. All you have to do is not put your turtle in your mouth and wash your hands. I'm a member of the local Turtle and Tortoise society, have taken turtles/torts to schools, reptile shows and even had a "petting oasis". Of the hundreds of people Ive seen handle them, never heard once of anyone getting sick.
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Oh I know. I'm no germophobe.

It is their policy to only allow certain animals (cats, dogs, small household birds) on their plane. They are allowed to enforce their policies. Southwest has a NO animal policy (service animals not included in that, of course). I just think in this particular instance Airtran's policy could have been enforced in a MUCH, much nicer way.


Someone wants to get paranoid about germs on a plane, go take a swab of the lav floor. *gag*
 
Doug Taylor said:
Some people walk in the lavatory barefoot or with socks on. Eww! Eww! Eww!
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I would have to turn my head and not look at people when they would do that. It seriously made me sick to my stomach to think of people walking in those lavs barefoot or stockingfoot... OMG.

I wanted to get on the PA and say, "People, would you walk barefoot or stockingfoot in ANY other public restroom?! Would you walk in your socks into the bathrooms in the airport? A gas station? The bathrooms at your workplace?! I sure as hell wouldn't! And neither should you! For the love of pete put your SHOES ON!!"

But I restrained myself and just silently gagged as I watched people go in the lavs in their socks or barefoot...

"Why is the floor in there sticky"

"Uhh... Well, lemme tell you a little something about restrooms..."
 
kellwolf said:
Somebody probably freaked over the whole reptile and salmonella thing. The employee throwing the turtle in the trash needs a tongue lashing of the job threatening kind.
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No, they need to be slapped with a civil penalty for animal cruelty.
 
I guess this girl with be ready to GSG9. They do stuff like that... make you raise a chicken and then kill it.
 
Honestly, the policy limiting pets to dogs, cats and birds is more to keep people from flipping out than it is to protect people from germs or bacteria. I've seen people legitimately terrified of a damn frog. Like to the point they'd 'cause a panic in a confined space trying to get away. I don't know if they fell in a bog and were attacked by tree frogs as a child or what, but it was an....interesting reaction to say the least.

Re-reading the article, it sounds like the agent told the girls to throw the turtle away, and they got back on the plane in tears.

Wonder what they do if someone tries to get on the plane with a BIA that isn't on the passenger registry.....
 
AirTran has reason to defend this policy.

Previous history of swampland creatures finding their way into their airframes did not go well.

No wonder they're nervous.

Just sayin'.
 
Firebird2XC said:
AirTran has reason to defend this policy.

Previous history of swampland creatures finding their way into their airframes did not go well.

No wonder they're nervous.

Just sayin'.
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To be fair, the creatures made their way on after the plane crashed into the swamps.
 
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